1. Field of the System
The present invention relates to electronic devices with portals for attaching various other electronic devices using cables. More specifically, the present system relates to a system for cable management for liquid crystal display (LCD) or other flat panel monitors, or other electronic devices.
2. Background of the System
Various electronic devices such as computer monitors including both flat panel and cathode ray tube (CRT) displays, video players and recorders, televisions and the like require cables to connect these devices to other components in the particular system. For instance, a typical computer has a monitor, a hard drive storage system, a keyboard, mouse, etc. A monitor itself can have multiple cables for connection to the computer hard drive, speakers, a video player, a video camera, digital video input, etc. It may even include serial port hubs for easy interconnection of interface devices, such as keyboards or mice.
A computer monitor with multiple cable portals and multiple cables dangling can be unsightly and even dangerous. Dangling cables can interfere with usability. The cables may also be dangerous because if multiple cables are hanging to the floor in a disorderly fashion they may cause a person to trip and fall over them or cause damage to equipment by being ensnared. In addition, the cable portals are usually on the back of a computer monitor such that when a cable is attached the cable sticks straight out from the back of the monitor. This can make it difficult to place a monitor close to a wall or in a console or when mounting several adjacent computers, etc.
A system for managing cables is disclosed herein. A preferred aspect of the system comprises a flat panel monitor having a front surface, a rear surface, a left side surface and a right side surface. The system also comprises a plurality of downwardly facing cable portals coupled to the rear surface of the flat panel monitor enclosure and a support member coupled to the rear surface of the flat panel monitor through a rotatable joining member, wherein the flat panel monitor is forwardly rotatable on the rotatable joining member on a horizontal axis. In another aspect of the disclosed system, the rear surface of the flat panel monitor may be coupled to a wall through a wall mounting device, the cable portals are then accessed from below the device. A plurality of releasably connectable retaining members are coupled to the rear surface of the flat panel monitor.
An aspect of the above disclosed system comprises a flat and thin flat panel monitor assembly with a rear surface that has an upper substantially planar surface and a lower substantially planar surface perpendicular to the right side surface and the left side surface. The upper planar surface of the flat panel monitor has greater depth than the lower planar surface and the bottom of the upper planar surface has a plurality of downwardly facing cable portals. Finally, the lower planar rear surface of the monitor assembly may have one or a plurality of releasably connectable retaining members.
The disclosed method comprises providing a monitor head assembly that may be disposed on a support member connected by a rotatable joining member. The rear of the flat panel monitor is situated facing the user and the bottom of the display head is rotated towards the user while the top of the top is rotated away from the user. Next, the user accesses the downwardly facing cable portals located on the bottom surface of the upper planar surface on the rear of the flat panel monitor. Next, cables are coupled between the downwardly facing cable portals and the releasably connectable retaining members located on the lower planar surface of the rear of the flat panel monitor assembly. The cables are placed in a horizontal direction along the releasable retaining member or members such that the cables are arranged in an orderly fashion.